The present inventive concept relates to a method for manufacturing a magnetic memory device and, more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a magnetic memory device that includes a magnetic tunnel junction.
As electronic devices trend toward high speed and low-power consumption, high-speed read/write operations and low operation voltages are required for semiconductor memory devices incorporated in the electronic devices. In order to meet such a requirement, magnetic memory devices have been proposed as semiconductor memory devices that provide high-speed read/write operations and that use low operation voltages. Since magnetic memory devices operate at high speed and have nonvolatile characteristics, the magnetic memory devices have attracted considerable attention as next generation memory devices.
A magnetic memory device may include a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The magnetic tunnel junction may include two magnetic structures and a tunnel barrier layer interposed between the two magnetic structures. The resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction may vary depending on magnetization directions of the two magnetic structures. For example, if the magnetization directions of the two magnetic structures are anti-parallel to each other, the magnetic tunnel junction may have a relatively high resistance. If the magnetization directions of the two magnetic structures are parallel to each other, the magnetic tunnel junction may have a relatively low resistance. The magnetic memory device may write/read data using the difference in resistance between the high resistance and the low resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction.
With the remarkable advances in electronic industry, there is an increasing demand for high density and/or low power consumption of a magnetic memory device. Accordingly, many studies have been conducted to meet these demands.